Collaboration Spotlight: Aquanzo x Boortmalt

A Sustainable Solution to a Global Problem

Remi clearly describes the issue, stating, “Marine ingredients are a fundamental resource for animal feed, mostly for aquaculture but also pet food. But we are running out of marine ingredients that we can harvest. We are maxing out the fisheries we have in place. We are now in a situation where we need more marine ingredients, but there is no way to harvest them in the future.”

Aquanzo’s response? A groundbreaking method to farm marine ingredients on land instead of harvesting them in our seas and oceans. “By transitioning from harvesting to farming marine ingredients, we can increase the overall amount of those marine ingredients that are key for animal nutrition. And we’re doing that by repurposing the existing aquaculture farming system, where instead of growing fish or shrimp, we’re growing artemia. This shrimp-like zooplankton grows up to a centimeter long.

Feeding the Future with Coproducts

Aquanzo’s work isn’t just innovative; it’s a model of efficiency. They’re turning what would be waste into a valuable resource. “One of the main reasons we chose to grow artemia is that it can grow on agricultural coproducts. We are taking existing agricultural coproducts, mostly carbohydrate-rich, but with low value, and we are using artemia as a vehicle to transform these coproducts into protein-rich, high-value products,” says Remi. This approach creates a new use for coproducts and provides a sustainable alternative to overfishing and producing marine ingredients.

The Journey to Collaboration with Boormalt

When asked how the collaboration with Boortmalt began, Remi shares, “So I think the collaboration initially started with BoortmaltX reaching out to us and presenting us with the BoortmaltX challenge and program. And when we looked into it, it seemed like a very good use of our time to apply for it. The process was very smooth.” Once we decided to collaborate, we first tested some of the dry coproducts Boortmalt has, and those tests went well.”

A Liquid Opportunity Emerges

The partnership with BoortmaltX was a game-changer for Aquanzo’s project, taking it to new heights. “They also have a significant amount of liquid coproducts such as the processed water of steeping phase in the malting process...And the focus of our collaboration is now going more specifically towards this liquid coproduct,” reveals Remi. “Before we collaborated with Boortmalt, liquid coproducts were on our radar but as a pretty low priority. Talking about this with Boortmalt was instrumental in making us look into the processed water more.”

“The thing with liquid coproducts is that they are often underused. It’s too expensive to transport liquid, and it’s too costly most of the time to dry it. So, it just goes down the drain. Dry coproducts are mostly used as animal feed, so it’s a zero-sum game; we are taking away from the feed for cows to feed our artemia. And so the overall global amount of protein doesn’t change. But suppose we can use liquid feedstock (the processed water) for artemia, we are increasing the total amount of protein made in the world because we are transforming liquid coproducts into usable protein. This requires a mobile farming installation that we can place on-site to avoid the high costs of transporting the processed water.”

This shift in focus was a crucial moment that defined the collaboration. — working towards a mobile farming system tailored for liquid coproducts.

Empowering Innovation with the Innovate UK Grant

A crucial part of Aquanzo and BoortmaltX’s journey is the Innovate UK Grant. It’s a big deal because it helps them do two important things: make their system bigger and mobile, and try it out with different partners. As Remi puts it, “The grant, in collaboration with Boortmalt, holds a two-fold purpose: scaling up our system from the lab to a larger, mobile facility on the one hand and scale and testing liquid feedstock with diverse partners on the other hand.”

Boortmalt played a key role in getting this grant by providing support and access to their facilities. “Having the largest player in a specific field on your side is the holy grail of any startup. It increased our chances of receiving the grant, and it shows our investors that there is a market for our solution”.

Looking Ahead: A Greener Future Together

The future of Aquanzo and BoortmaltX working side by side looks promising. Remi envisions that once they show how well their system works in solving the problem of wasted coproducts, they can work together to bring this solution directly to Boortmalt’s door. “Once we have demonstrated that the system which we are developing is solving one of those pain points of how to use currently wasted coproducts, we hope that we can together develop a system that is directly applicable to Boortmalt, with Boortmalt to address these problems,” says Remi.

It’s not just about developing technologies; it’s about creating something that directly helps Boortmalt and the larger industry. This collaboration is a stepping stone to a greener, more sustainable future for both companies and developing a sustainable solution to produce marine ingredients for the entire world.

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